Santa to chug into Moorpark and Camarillo

Festivities begin at 5 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Moorpark train station, 300 High St. Activities will continue at the Historic High Street Arts Center, 45 E. High St., after the train leaves.

The train will pull into the Camarillo station, 30 Lewis Road, at 6:15 p.m.

Santa Claus will be commuting to Ventura County via Metrolink and will be making stops in Moorpark and Camarillo. But he’s not ditching his reindeer to drive a train, Sherita Coffelt, a Metrolink spokeswoman, assures children.

“Santa is not a licensed engineer and that will not be very safe,” Coffelt said.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be stopping at the two stations on the evening of Dec. 19 as part of Metrolink’s 14th annual Holiday Toy Express, a train decorated by Metrolink crew members with more than 50,000 sparkling lights.

The train will be stopping in 11 train stations in four counties, and each city will host its own celebration open to the public.

“In the past, it has been the same program at all of the stops, but this year each of the cities are hosting events and are responsible for planning festivities unique to their cities,” Coffelt said. “Someone can go every night and see something different.”

Metrolink is also supporting the Spark of Love Toy Drive and asks visitors to take one or more unwrapped toys for children.

Festivities will begin at the Moorpark station at 4:30 p.m., with carolers and food vendors. The train will roll in at 5 p.m. so visitors can mingle and take pictures with Santa for one hour. Visitors are invited to continue their holiday cheer at the Historic High Street Art Center in Moorpark, where Mayor Janice Parvin will read “The Night Before Christmas.”

The holiday train will then pull into the Camarillo station at 6:15 p.m., where guests will be treated to carolers and live music from the Camarillo Community Band, said John Fraser, one of the organizers of the event and senior management analyst for Camarillo.

Coffelt and Fraser are encouraging people to show up early before the free parking spots at the respective stations fill up.

“We definitely recommend that people bundle up, gather their families and get there early to get a good parking spot and a good place to see Santa,” Coffelt said.